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Netflix's expansion into live sports continues Sunday afternoon with the broadcast of an exhibition match between Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, dubbed the “Netflix Slam,” in Las Vegas.
Following Netflix's Fall Golf Competition, Formula 1 drivers and PGA competitors are paired to play at the Sphere in Las Vegas. squid game Like Doll, Sunday's presentation will feel more familiar to sports fans.
Former American tennis stars Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, Jim Courier, Mary Jo Fernandez and Patrick McEnroe will be joined by host Kay Adams and analyst Prakash, who appeared in the Netflix tennis documentary series. Amritraj will also be participating in the broadcast. breakpoint. Season 2 of that show dropped in January.
Gabe Spitzer, Netflix's vice president of nonfiction sports, said, “While most other networks would air live programming and by extension documentary programming, we think it's a little bit the other way around.'' ” he said.
MGM Resorts had scheduled a similar match for March 2023 before it was canceled due to injury. Talks with Netflix began late last summer, with talks restarting ahead of this year. MGM will host the fight at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino's Michelob Ultra Arena, which has hosted numerous fight events in addition to serving as the home court of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces. .
“The opportunity to host SLAM, featuring international superstar athletes Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, gives us the opportunity to secure a partner that can reach the largest fan base possible.” said Lance Evans, MGM Resorts' International SVP of Sports Sponsorship, in an email. statement. “Netflix has a global audience that is interested in a wide range of sports and entertainment content, and they are just as committed to the success of their event experience as we (MGM Resorts) are throughout every pre-event conversation. ”
Nadal vs. Alcaraz will start at 12:30pm local time (3:30pm ET), primarily to ensure the match is played during prime time in Spain and throughout Europe. Netflix also plans to distribute Spanish-language broadcasts on a regional basis. Full Day Productions is overseeing broadcast details. Elements such as train cameras and sky cameras are expected to give the coverage a cinematic feel without departing too much from how tennis has traditionally been presented.
Netflix continues to be opportunistic when it comes to live sports streaming paired with its growing catalog of sports documentary content. Next year, the service will begin broadcasting WWE Raw on a weekly basis (as well as his other WWE events broadcast outside of the United States).
“We have to keep getting better, learning and improving,” Spitzer said. “And I think that's what we want to do. But at the same time, there's nothing better than having these two names attached. So something that's really appealing to fans around the world. We want to make sure that we create that.”
